19. I had another dermal, but had to get it removed. When it heals, I'll get it redone!

The most common question I get asked is "Why?" I know a lot of people find the idea of having needles shoved through skin is horrible, but I get an adrenaline rush! Plus, I like trying new things - I like how they look & if I ever didn't like one, it's easy to remove.

Also, hygiene is SO important. Apart from my dermal, which I had removed because I pulled it in my sleep, I have never had any piercing get infected or rejected. I know people who clean theirs regularly & still get infections, but if you don't take care of it, (generally, wash it three times daily with sea salt & water. Any good piercer will advise you on aftercare), it can be dangerous & look disgusting. Plus, don't change them too quickly. If it looks healed outside, it could still be healing internally, so wait for the recommended time.

I get most of mine done in Dublin Ink by Dani, but had three done in Psychosis Wexford when I was at home. Both are reasonably priced, clean & offer free aftercare. Always choose somewhere that uses needles - Piercing guns are NOT good. Don't ever be afraid to leave a studio if you think it looks unclean - You're paying for a service. Don't just choose the cheapest place - Research it, & make sure you're comfortable!

I'm not an expert on piercings, but I've gathered a bit of common sense in my time. I got my bottom lobes done when I was about 7, & gradually added to it. Most recently were my nose & rook, which are only 3 days old!

I hope you don't mind me posting about other aspects of my life, & maybe someone found it useful. Let me know!

The palette is teeny-tiny, just the size of a credit card. This, coupled with the sturdy packaging & mix of products makes it ideal for throwing in your bag - I'll probably end up bringing it home on the weekends or out at night. For €16.95, you're getting a decent amount of product. I picked mine up online at Cloud10.

The blush, bronzer & highlighter themselves are lovely. The blusher is a pretty peach, unlike most of my other blushes so it's a welcome addition! The bronzer is quite warm, & could easily be used as a blush, because there are some warm gold tones in it. But the knock out here for me has to be the highlighter - It's a beautiful pearly gold, that has insane pigmentation! (It's probably best to apply lightly, unless you're going for full on shimmer.)

Blusher, highlighter & bronzer swatched

The lasting was power was impressive - Mine are still on my face, at six minutes past midnight, so a good fourteen hours or so. They were easy to blend as well, so no fear of looking stripy instead of contoured!

As you can see, my orange hair & I clearly went for the full-on shimmer look.

Basically, even if you're not a Kardashian fan, I'd recommend trying out one of these palettes (Kim & Kourtney versions are also available). I'll be back with a closer look at the eyeshadows!

Next, I saw that NIMA Brush had a little sale on, so I just had to invest in a 12 piece Professional Brush Set. Look at the beautiful yellow cylinder it comes in! Definitely expect a full review (once I figure out what all the brushes do).

Then I dropped into Boots today because I needed new make up remover. And left with two boxes of hair dye (Garnier Nutrisse Ultra in Intense Copper), Models Own Bubblegum, Pink Punch & Pukka Purple (Ice Neon Collection), Schwarzkopf Got2Be Powderful & Dry Shampoo, Garnier Simply Essentials 2 in 1 Make Up Remover & Barry M Lip Paint 62.

My bank account is weeping, but they were all necessary.. Honest!

Have you been on any splurges recently? Interested in any of the products above? Chloe x

3/23/2013

Maybe I'm just far too nosy for my own good, but I LOVE 'What's in my bag/ make up bag/ room' posts. So when I was packing to come home from college for the weekend, I decided to share what tends to make the journey with me.

Ted Baker, reduced from €25 to €18

This is how my make-up is transported - A gold Ted Baker washbag, with a glittery black bow. It's easy to wipe clean, & big enough to carry what I want. Plus, I adore glitter. I'm happy.

First up, the brushes I cart around. (L-R)

Chili Pepper eyeshadow brush

Chili Pepper domed brush

ELF Studio Powder Brush

MUA Blusher & Contouring Brush

Ecotools Tapered Blush Brush

Ecotools Buffing Brush

Ecotools Lash & Brow Groomer

Unbranded eyeshadow brush & angled eyeliner brush

Next up, my face

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Benefir Boi-ing Concealer

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Urban Decay Powder Blush in Quickie

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Ivory

MAC Prep + Prime

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Light

Lancome Highlighter in Moonlight Rose

My eye products

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Collection Eyebrow Definer in Blonde

MUA Intense Color Eyeliner Pencil in Rich Brown

Loreal Super Liner Gel

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Finally, lips

Collection Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

Loreal Rouge Caresse in Rose Mademoiselle

Elemis Lip Balm

Essence Stay With Me Lipgloss in Candy Bar

So, they're the products I tend to use. Some are because they're reliable, some are because they're travel size, & some are just there because.

3/21/2013

So, like a lot of people, I have major love for Barry Mnail polish. But I also really like their lip paints - ESPECIALLY the one I'm about to show you.

The packaging does tend to get a bit grubby - It's quite rubbery, like NARS packaging.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. It is a green lipstick. Don't worry, I'm not overdosing on the St Patrick's Day spirit! Green in the tube, it comes out as a shade of pink on your lips. It depends on the pH of your lips, but it tends to come out as a deep/ bright pink on me, depending on the time of day/ what I've eaten, etc.

It is a little bit gimmicky, but it's definitely eye catching. I can't count the times someone has screamed "Are you putting on GREEN lipstick?!" Plus my mother nearly had the wooden spoon after me when doing her make up for a wedding & I whipped this out.

Bare lips - One coat of TMLP

It is more like a stain than a lipstick (in my opinion) but it's not drying at all, and does last a good few hours (at least 4). But, if you have a few dry patches on your lips, exfoliation & moisturising is a must. Otherwise, you will end up with patches of different colours, which might be a bit weird..

How it adapts on me

I love this lip paint, the colour it adapts to on me is really pretty & it doesn't require too much maintenance. For around €5.50-€6 in Boots/ Superdrug, I'd definitely recommend it!

3/17/2013

Just wanted to pop by & wish you all a Happy St Patrick's Day. Last night I shared a picture of what I thought I'd do with my make up so I thought I'd pop up what I actually did on the day. (I love doing my make up to sit at home in front of the fire watching Catfish.. It's pouring rain so I opted out of the parade!)

3/15/2013

It's been a while, I ended up spending way too much time in the library this week, so no posts were written & no photos taken! Then, when running into Boots for tissues (I'm sitting here sniffling away), I caught sight of one of the Barry M Gelly polishes that I had been searching for! And realised it was high time I reviewed the shades I have.

The Gelly polishes cost €5.99 in Boots, I picked 3 up on a 3 for 2 offer & got the other on another promotion. The first three I picked up were mostly just to try out, but the latest one (Greenberry) was just a gorgeous colour.

So, I'm still a bit undecided. I think it depends on the individual shades - Some need three layers (Prickly Pear), others could get away with one. (Pomegranate) They are definitely glossier than other polishes, and they are long lasting, but no more so than regular Barry M polishes.

Overall, I guess if you're looking for a cheaper version of gel nails, these might be a good alternative, but I'd rather just get one of the regular nail polishes. (Though I do love Pomegranate & Greenberry, they're beautiful!)

Have you tried the Gelly Hi Shine nail paints? Or would you rather stick to actual gel nails/ regular polishes?Chloe x

3/07/2013

As much as I love changing my make up to match my mood, nothing changes your look as much as your hair. I've been stuck highlighting/ dying my hair since I was about 13 & I've been A LOT of colours. Everyone is usually quite interested to see how different colours suit a person, or want to know how I changed my hair without too much damage, so I decided to share a range of my hair styles with you!

16 - It was pretty hard keeping the pink in my hair. It started to fade a lot, & my roots were very obvious, so I just took to dying it different shades of black, with tints.

16 - DISASTER. As I said, the colour kept fading, because the pink flashes had originally been bleached. Because of the different shades in my hair, it ended up black, dark brown, red, orange and blonde. I was literally the girl with 5 colours in her hair.

17 - After the above disaster, I continued to dye my hair black for a while but then I took the plunge, and got my hair stripped. Afterwards, my hairdresser put in brown & red highlights, to keep regrowth from looking too obvious.

18 - And finally, my hair was back to its natural colour! (Ignore the face paint. That's not so natural.) I was able to grow it past my shoulders for the first time in a while, & it was pretty healthy.

18 - But as usual, I got bored, and decided to try out balayage. I still wanted my natural colour, but with something more interesting. My posts on ombre in ginger hair are still some of the most popular on my blog!

19 - What can I say? I got bored again. My friend is training as a hairdresser, so we spent many hours highlighting my hair. After a few weeks, she highlighted the rest of it, so I became a golden-red-blonde!

19 - After watching X Factor USA, I fell in love with Demi Lovato's pink hair, and NEEDED to try it. I picked up a bottle of semi-permanent pink colour & threw it in my ends.

19 - I was getting a bit sick of the maintenance, & the pink turned out to be a bit more permanent than I thought, so my only choice was to dye it. I went for a red/brown, that pretty much matched my natural colour, but everytime I wash it, it seems to be getting lighter & I'm now a bit strawberry blonde (As much as I hate that phrase.)

So, from this, I think it's easy to tell that I am easily bored & like change! I'm trying to decide whether to stick to my natural colour, or to go for something different next..Any opinions? How often do you change your hair?Chloe x

3/04/2013

I think my main make up obsession is probably mascara - In fairness, it's worn daily & can really open up my teeny eyes, so I love snapping new ones up!

When MUA recently had a 50% sale, I decided to try one of their mascaras. It was ridiculously cheap & I know that even if I don't love a mascara, I can bring it with me on a night out or something without worrying about losing it. (Not that I've ever actually lost make-up when I'm out, EVER. I lost my camera once, & was more relieved that I still had my lipstick in my bag.)

So for £2.00 (Or about €1.15 with the sale & conversion), how did it fare?

Well, the packaging is beautifully sleek. It really reminds me of my Art Deco liner, which costs a bomb, so I'm impressed! The brush is also extremely curved - It looked a bit strange, but it turned out to be perfect for getting into the outer & inner lashes without hassle.

Bare lashes - One coat - Two coats

The two main things that I loved? I can honestly get every lash, plus it wasn't at all clumpy. Bad points? It's not the quickest drying, & I seemed to end up with quite a bit on my eye lid! I only noticed this when doing my review pictures, because I normally apply thick eyeliner before my mascara, it won't bother me most days.

Just mascara (& foundation, hence my beautiful foundation lips!)

So the verdict - If you're not in a rush, it's a lovey mascara that definitely lengthens & volumises lashes. But it's quite prone to smudging/ getting messy.